Meet Brian Willingham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Willingham.

Brian, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve been interested in classic cars and hot rods my entire life. I have always been an artistic type of person, drawing cars on the walls of my childhood bedroom and doing pencil drawings in high school art class. My dad and I got my 1953 Ford pickup as a father-son project when I was 14 years old and I still have it today. It wasn’t until my early 20’s when I finally made my hobby into a job.

I first started working in the aftermarket parts industry and eventually, I became friends with a custom upholsterer and he peaked my interest in the art form of hot rod interiors. He would go on to mentor me for about three years before it was time for me to start doing it on my own. Custom interiors are a perfect blend of my passion for classic cars and exercising my artistic talents. I am a one-man shop and I work on only one car at a time giving each interior a unique, handcrafted, show quality finish.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I create custom interiors for hot rods and classic cars dating pre-1970’s. Most of the cars that I work on are newly restored or customized by individuals or professional shops. Cars come to me as a blank slate which means I get to build all of the interior panels and seats, then tailor custom carpeting and upholstery from scratch. Of course, before you can build anything, you have to come up with a design that suits both the car’s style and the needs of the customer who will be driving it.

During the design stage, things like stitch patterns for the seats and panels as well as material choices are made. Once we have the design and materials picked, I begin to build each piece starting with templates that are precisely fitted to the car for a high level of finish. The building process itself requires a multitude of skill sets in order to work with various materials such as wood, metal, and plastic, in addition to the standard upholstery skills which use foams, carpet, leather, vinyl, and fabrics. A hot rod upholsterer is as much of a carpenter as they are a seamster or seamstress. Each custom interior that I create is specifically designed and built to that one car, and I hope that my customers enjoy a comfortable ride in their handmade, and tailored seats. I also enjoy including a high level of detail for them to admire for years to come.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I actually think artists are finally getting a break from some of the challenges before social media existed. It seems that more people are wanting to buy locally made items that have character and have a story behind their making. But to address the actual question. I’d have to say that I still feel that many artists are not getting what they’re worth when it comes time to sell something they’ve created by hand using their creative gift and skills. I feel that some potential customers still see a custom, handmade, item as “homemade” and therefore, that means it should be cheaper than something you can buy at the store that is mass produced.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work can be seen mainly on Instagram, where I like to post progress pictures, as well as detail shots of my stitch work. If you do go to my Instagram, don’t be surprised to see pics of my cat also. My work can also be seen in person at many local cars shows and cruise nights. If people would like to support me, but maybe they don’t have a car that needs upholstery, I’d love for you to follow me on Instagram to like and comment on the pictures of my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bwupholstery.com
• Email: bwupholsteryaz@gmail.com
• Instagram: @brianwillstich_az

Image Credit:
Tommy Koppinger

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